Sparring in the Expanse
by Bineshii
Summary: Amanda Cole almost gets it, but not quite, what that pinch T'Pol gave her was all about.


Disclaimer: No filthy lucre changed hands

Sparring In the Expanse

By Bineshii

Amanda Cole rubbed her sore shoulder and did a couple of shoulder circles to loosen up after the workout. Funny how Hays and Reed could slam her into the mat and the only thing that really hurt was the bruise where Commander T'Pol had pinched her during that neuropressure session. Hey, she wouldn't care as long as Hayes and Reed would start to get along! Every time they started to face off today, she stepped between them and punched one of them to deflect them from each other. And they were more than willing to use her as a substitute for their aggression, especially the way she went at it. But she paid the price in stiff muscles, even though she was sure her techniques were improving.

Back in her quarters, a hot bath would have done nicely, but Amanda had to settle for a brief shower. How she missed the hot tub in her parents' Florida home. And how fortunate her parents had moved north before the Xindi attack or they would be so much dust in the wind like that hot tub. Smoked in an instant, that hot tub, like many of her old high school classmates. Not good - this dwelling on the past. She had heard enough of it during those neuropressure sessions with Trip Tucker. He had let his heart out to her, bit by tiny bit.

That had been the price of the neuropressure, but she too remembered Lizzy, a feisty little thing in Trip's wake, cheering on her team as it ran over Amanda's own school team. Compassion for Trip and lust for Trip's great body had initiated that kiss in his quarters. There were few other distractions in the Expanse. And they could all be dead tomorrow. Take what life threw your way, was Amanda's philosophy.

Easing into her bunk, Amanda admitted the strength of a Vulcan was formidable. Commander T'Pol sure had strong fingers. She guessed that Vulcans were prone to forgetting they were three times stronger than Humans. An interspecies relationship hazard, she mused, which made Amanda glad she was not put on a Vulcan assault squad in an exchange program like they were talking about. How would she ever survive the training sessions when some Vulcan intense on perfecting his hand-to-hand techniques forgot she was Human?

No, much as she admired their strength, logic, and dedication to purpose, Amanda Cole did not want to serve for even a day on a Vulcan ship. Human males were quite enough for sparring partners. Too bad though. Some of those Vulcan males might easily raise her libido, if she let them. But that would have been useless; they never showed a spark of interest, did they? And what about the females? There was something about Commander T'Pol… Amanda was only beginning to recognize Vulcan body language. It was so subtle – not enough to put an unformed suspicion into words. Something about that pinch Commander T'Pol had given her.

Her bunk was narrow, but that would not stop Amanda if it was all that was available. Now Trip Tucker was a fine Human specimen. Hopping into the sack with him would have been fun. Would have been? Almost was. They had so much in common and it all seemed to be headed in that direction until today. Yes, this morning she had seen him sitting at breakfast with the Vulcan. Walking past their table, she overheard a strange utterance from Trip: 'lab rat'. What were the senior officers planning now? Some kind of biological weapon? Their cheery Denoblian doc must be in on these plans, most likely. Well, anything to get the job done. After Florida…the enemy deserved whatever the Enterprise could throw at them!

After breakfast when she had passed Trip on his way to engineering, he had a far off look in his eyes, a kind of sad longing. He did not even see her or answer her "Good morning, Commander".

Amanda rolled over, groaned as her stiff body protested, and tapped off the light. She was back to begging sleeping tablets from Dr. Phlox. But her thoughts drifted again to the enigma that was the Vulcan commander. The best looking woman on the ship, she had to admit. That pinch. It always came back to that! All the other places T'Pol had touched her had felt wonderfully relaxed. Amanda sighed and started to drift off to sleep.

Yes! Amanda sat up in the dark. It FELT like the touch of a jealous woman, that deep stabbing pinch! Nah, she smirked to herself, nah girl, Trip and Commander T'Pol? But T'Pol had been awfully talkative, for a Vulcan, asking all those questions about Trip during their neuropressure session. Now what was it she was saying just before T'Pol slipped and pinched her so hard? Something about Florida? Phlox's pills were starting to take effect and Amanda wanted to let go of the day. She sighed, dropped back in the bunk and was mercifully asleep before another of the myriad small anomalies in the Expanse rocked the ship.

2


End file.
